What Sexual Harassment Looks Like for Freelance Photographers, and What You Can Do

Sexual harassment is headlining news stories across the country in industries where harassers can be held responsible for their actions. Whether by human resources departments or by the court of public opinion, harassers in these circumstances have consequences to deal with. But what do creative freelance professionals, like photographers, do about sexual harassment on the job when they have no HR department to turn to?

What does sexual harassment look like in an industry where there is no human resources department to set clear guidelines and hold perpetrators accountable? HoneyBook, a software company that provides online hosting for creative professionals, ran a survey of their clients to find out, and the numbers are depressing.

Of the over 1,000 creative entrepreneurs — which included photographers, graphic designers, and event planners — who responded to the survey, more than 50 percent had been sexually harassed at least once, and an equal number witnessed the sexual harassment of a colleague, vendor, or event guest.

With harassment so prevalent, what exactly are these creative professionals dealing with?

77 percent of creatives have experienced unprofessional comments on appearance.

73 percent have been called demeaning nicknames.

56 percent have been the victims of physical intimidation.

Image by Lum3n.com used under Creative Commons

Imagine photographing a wedding, only to be sexually harassed by a guest of the bride and groom. It can be incredibly difficult to decide how to handle such a situation when the photographer relies on the goodwill and good opinion of their clients to put food on the table and pay their bills. Since there is no human resources department to alert, and no one wants to stain their client's wedding day by reporting a beloved guest for harassment, creatives are faced with the decision to either keep their mouths shut and keep working, or report the harasser and deal with the consequences. When faced with situations like this, it becomes clear why 72 percent of creative entrepreneurs who responded experienced sexual harassment on the job did not report it. For the brave few who did report their experience to someone other than the police, 34 percent had their complaints ignored.

Despite experiencing sexual harassment, 80 percent of victims continued working, choosing to finish the job rather than take the potential long-term repercussions of walking off. Thirty-four percent of respondents said that they avoided working with the client again, which means that they not only suffered harassment but lost out on potential income.

Perhaps worst of all, 18 percent said that they experienced harassment from the same individual more than four times.

Photograph by Kat Smith used under Creative Commons

With no direct safeguards and an income that depends heavily on working on multiple projects where word of mouth means feeding yourself, how are photographers and other creative professionals supposed to deal with sexual harassment in the workplace?

Keep a record. Should any claims be made, the burden of proof is on the shoulders of the victim.

Add a sexual harassment clause to your contracts. HoneyBook has taken this step to provide its members with a sexual harassment clause to add to their contracts.

As a community, photographers have a voice. If the #metoo movement proved anything, it's that people have more power when everyone speaks out together. With an eye toward the future, photographers can also lobby with other freelancers at the state and local level for laws to be added or altered that would provide the protections that are now lacking. Harassment flourishes in the dark, so the best thing creative entrepreneurs can do is continue to make their voices heard, provide supportive environments for victims to speak out, and call out harassment when it happens.

Nicole York is a professional photographer and educator based out of Colorado Springs, Colorado. When she's not shooting extraordinary people or mentoring growing photographers, she's out exploring the Colorado Wilderness with her pug, Sissy.

54 Comments

Part of the issue here is, this is an international forum. The idea that all photographers, both male or female, can have equal access to the legal advice, HR support and social protection is still a pipe dream.

From my perspective, both women and men have a role to play in consciously promoting this agenda. I remember two female colleagues confronting and advising a co-worker to button up her blouse at work for showing too much.

If well-informed countries like the United States of America are having difficulties with sexual harassment cases, odds are other countries will have similar or unknown level harassment cases to unearth.

The rules and definitions of harrasment are very different throught the world, age groups, work groups, etc. It all goes down to an individual. Recently I read a long rant about "watching" someone on the street as a sexual harrasment...

Like Konrad said, the cultural rules of harassment differ, and that's something that needs to be discussed where the laws get made. That being said, humans evolved to have an incredible ability to read expression, tone of voice, inflection, and body language. I think that most people can understand the difference between a compliment, an attempt at flirting, and harassment. Those who can't will always be outliers, and we definitely have to be careful not to let their voices drown out the rest of us.

Ok maybe you can think that someone want to flirt with you, and you don't like it.
"thanks but no." or similar it's a good way to stop him... He just trying to "hit" you and I think it isn't harassment..!

Obviusly if him go on or become rude you can call it harassment.

And yes, if he at the first time say "go on your knee to have a promotion" or other things bad like this, like an Anonymous write below, is a harassment.

Does it? Interesting that you infer it refers to the least innocuous of comments. In my personal experience, it usually has to do comments that are clearly objectifying, crass or vulgar. "You look great" is a far cry from "your ass looks hot in those pants."

I've had comments on my looks and had my butt grabbed quite a few times while photographing weddings or events. Thanks for not making this a "poor women, men are bad" only kind of sexual harrasment article.

I guess it depends on what it is and how it's said.
Being hit on and having a joke with them can be quite funny, and if you play along a bit it can make guests, not just those doing it but anyone who sees you having fun, a bit more relaxed and open to you taking their photos.
Now, saying that, it can get too much and I don't think you should ever put your hands on someone without either their permission, or an established bond (putting your arm around someone you know sort of thing). No one should have to put up with something they aren't comfortable with, especially in a professional setting.
Being grabbed for me hasn't been that big of a deal, but that may be because I've never felt intimidated by the people doing it and I'm more than happy to tell someone where to go if I've had enough of them.

I think you make a really good point, Corey. So much of how one deals with sexual harassment will depend upon both the harassment itself but also how secure the victim is, and what their history is as well as how they've been socialized.
Margaret Atwood said, "Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them."
While it's not always that severe, the sentiment is true. Men are generally strong enough to physically defend themselves (or feel confident that they can) and women don't always have that luxury.
At the same time, being able to physically defend oneself doesn't remove the discomfort and sense of violation that one feels--man or woman--when someone imposes themselves on you sexually.

"Margaret Atwood said, "Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them." "

Actually, women are not so less capable of killing a man. There are many different kinds of weapons and ways to for that to happen that don't involve differences in physical strength. I've met some pretty damn scary women before that made me wary of my safety.

As for self defense for women, I always recommend women own their own gun, especially if they live alone, and where relevant they should also seek a concealed carry permit. It's a great equalizer.

This isn't the first time you've mentioned that, Bob, which I find interesting. What/who are women protecting themselves from?
What are the statistics out there for male vs female violent crimes? Have a look at the numbers, here. Women are not wrong for naturally fearing for their safety. The numbers are overwhelmingly against us.

The entire point of articles like this one is to help bring down the numbers of men and women who deal with sexual harassment. Wouldn't it be nice if less women needed to own guns for their safety? As a competent marksman myself, I can also tell you that adrenaline, surprise, and a number of other factors can severely mitigate the effectiveness of a concealed weapon--particularly for less trained shooters (which most, unfortunately, are) which may easily turn into a weapon in the hand of the attacker.

It isn't a matter of statistics of who kills who more. I simply said that woman clearly are not so less capable of killing a man. That is a fact.

"..factors can severely mitigate the effectiveness of a concealed weapon--particularly for less trained shooters (which most, unfortunately, are) which may easily turn into a weapon in the hand of the attacker."

Please Nicole. Clearly a woman is better off armed than not armed when having to defend herself against a man. The argument that a gun can somehow get into the hands of the attacker is ridiculous. As you have made clear, a man can easily overpower most women. If a man is inclined to kill a woman he wouldn't need a gun to do it.

The training argument is also ridiculous. Any sane and reasonably intelligent person carrying a gun will learn how to use it properly, which isn't rocket sceience. You are doing a disservice to women by discouraging them to properly arm and protect themselves.

"Maybe a better answer is for fewer people to harass others?"

The reality of the situation is women are always going to be harassed, assaulted, raped and murdered. We don't live in heaven on earth.

Come on, Bob. You're reaching now and you're also avoiding my point. Whether or not women are capable has nothing to do with who is more inclined to violence, as the statistics illustrate.

As far as guns go, you've already proved two of my points. Yes, a man does not need a gun because he is--in general--bigger and stronger than she is. And the fact that you believe a woman needs a gun in the first place only serves to illustrate the point that sexual harassment and assault are real issues for women. You don't get to have it both ways: should women be concerned with their safety, or not? I consider myself both sane and reasonably intelligent, as well as someone trained to use firearms both privately and in the military. This isn't a subject I approach from an armchair.

Because we don't live in heaven on earth, does that mean we should stop trying to make things better? That's illogical, and I think you know it. I said women are afraid, you said they shouldn't be because women are also capable of killing men (even though it's statistically unlikely and we both agree that men are physically more capable of mayhem) but then supported my argument by suggesting all women conceal carry because they will always be harassed, raped and killed.

Nicole, like I said, I wasn't addressing who is more inclined to violence. I simply said that women are not so less capable of killing a man. That is a fact, and not "reaching" at all.

Of course "sexual harassment and assault are real issues for women." I said as much at the end of my post.

Of course women should be concerned for their safety. That's obviously what I was addressing when I spoke of women arming themselves.

"I consider myself both sane and reasonably intelligent, as well as someone trained to use firearms both privately and in the military."

Then you shouldn't be deterring women from arming themselves with the ridiculous arguments of the anti-gun lobbies.

"Because we don't live in heaven on earth, does that mean we should stop trying to make things better?"

Nothing wrong with that, but in the meantime you are deterring women from properly defending themselves. There is something wrong with that.

"I said women are afraid, you said they shouldn't be because women are also capable of killing men.."

Nicole, I never said or suggested such a thing. Go back and read what I wrote. I just said that "women are not so less capable of killing a man." That's it. You're wrongly reading more into the simple statement I made.